Sensor detection pads with integrated fuse

Abstract

A monitor system to monitor a characteristic of a user is disclosed. A monitor system includes a sensor producing signals indicative of glucose characteristics within the user. The sensor has a connector with a plurality of contacts, at least two contacts being shorted by a fuse trace. The monitor system further includes an electronics package with a package housing. The package housing contains a battery, a package port interfaced with the connector to receive signals from the sensor, and a package processor to process the signals from the sensor. Further included in the monitor system is a fuse system controlled by the package processor that includes a fuse timer, wherein the fuse trace is destroyed after the fuse timer reaches a threshold value.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to monitor systems and, in particular embodiments, to devices and methods for operation of a sensor to determine a characteristic of a body.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Over the years, bodily characteristics have been determined by obtaining a sample of bodily fluid. For example, diabetics often test for blood glucose levels. Traditional blood glucose determinations have utilized a painful finger prick using a lancet to withdraw a small blood sample. This results in discomfort from the lancet as it contacts nerves in the subcutaneous tissue. The pain of lancing and the cumulative discomfort from multiple needle pricks is a strong reason why patients fail to comply with a medical testing regimen used to determine a change in characteristic over a period of time. Although non-invasive systems have been proposed, or are in development, none to date have been commercialized that are effective and provide accurate results. In additio...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about a monitoring system that measures a user's glucose levels and sends the information to a processor. The sensor has a connector with short-circuited contacts, and the processor destroys the connector's fuse track after a set amount of time has passed. The system also includes a fuse system controlled by the processor that gets triggered after the processor reaches a certain threshold. This monitoring system can help users manage their diabetic condition by providing real-time data on their glucose levels.

Problems solved by technology

This results in discomfort from the lancet as it contacts nerves in the subcutaneous tissue.

Although non-invasive systems have been proposed, or are in development, none to date have been commercialized that are effective and provide accurate results.

In addition, all of these systems are designed to provide data at discrete points and do not provide continuous data to show the variations in the characteristic between testing times.

However, the monitors for these continuous sensors provide alarms, updates, trend information and require sophisticated hardware to allow the user to program the monitor, calibrate the sensor, enter data and view data in the monitor and to provide real-time feedback to the user.

Abnormalities detected in this manner may detect heart disease that would otherwise go undetected.

These tests, while very useful are limited to monitoring of bio-mechanical physical changes in the body, such as a heart beat, respiration rate, blood pressure or the like.

Upon consumption of the sensor reagents it is possible to get spurious or inaccurate readings from a sensor.

It is therefore undesirable and even potentially dangerous to use a sensor beyond its designed lifetime.

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